Races & Places with azsungoddessRunning & Racing around the country

"Disclaimer: I received 2 pairs of Knockaround premium polarized sunglasses to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!"

I am pretty tough on sunglasses, I tend to break them easily, or lose them. That is why I try not to pay top dollar for my sunglasses. I really like the current trend of colorful, inexpensive sunglasses that has been embraced by the running community.

I received 2 pairs from Knockaround. Haven’t heard of them before? They are based in San Diego and have been around since 2005. Plus, they start at just $10!!!

They come in a soft stretchy carrying bag, that also doubles as a lens cleaner. You may be wondering why polarized? A polarized lens offers Increased visual comfort. Since your eyes aren't constantly challenged by glare, it is easier to view objects in bright conditions. It also enhances clarity of vision and contrast for ground level objects. The true test, of course, is how they fit, feel, and function. I took these sunglasses on several runs, including my Ragnar Relay in Wisconsin

They didn’t slip with the sweat, and the other great thing was that they didn’t get tangled in my hair, like my aviators. They are made with a lightweight polycarbonate frame, are impact-resistant lenses, and offer UV400 sun protection.

Tons of fun colors available to match your race-day gear. too!Knockaround Premiums retail for only $15 (non-polarized) or $20 (polarized).

On top of their ALREADY LOW prices, right now you can save 20% with BibRaveKnocks20! one use per person, expires 9/30.

"Disclaimer: I received a complimentary entry to the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

Top Rated RaceI have been so excited about running this race. It was voted the top half marathon in the country last year on the BibRave 100! It has all of the things that I look for when choosing a race:

Great swag

Epic after party

Cool scenery – fall foliage

Location, location – on Whiskey Row

I have to admire a race that is so strong in a particular distance that it just focuses on that. It’s just a half marathon, nothing more and nothing less! Keep it simple, I like it!

I am overjoyed that my sister will be joining me on this adventure. We’ll take in packet pickup – there is general packed pickup at PNC stadium, as well as VIP packet pickup on Friday from 5-8pm – below is the scoop on VIP packet pickup:

Up to 250 VIPs can get an exclusive taste before the race on Friday, Oct. 19, from 5-8 p.m. Enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and Bourbon cocktails.

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and Jim Beam® bourbon cocktail.

Complimentary token to participate in the Taste of History experience at the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse that includes a small working distillery, a bottling line, and a tasting experience (additional guests can purchase the Taste of History experience).

The main reason I used to avoid Ragnar races is now the reason why I’m addicted.Being with strangers, fear of the unknown, and not wanting to get out of your comfort zone is now a good thing.

A few months ago, I put my name on a few different Ragnar race pages as an interested runner looking for a team. One week before Ragnar Great River, someone replied to my message and asked if I was still looking for a team. I just assumed she was talking about Ragnar Michigan and started typing back “nope, I’m all set”, and then it dawned on me that she was talking about Minnesota! I dropped everything and had to google when this race actually was. She had a FREE spot on a team that she was just going to hand over! How do I turn that down???!!!

Once it was cleared with the boss and hubby, I set out to find a great airfare deal. By the next morning, the price had jumped up $200. After much deliberation and searching, I got my original low price and flew all the way to La Crosse, Wisconsin, just 30 minutes from the start. I worked the afternoon from a cool coffee shop downtown and then had a delicious dinner before ubering over to Winona. At the end of dinner, it started raining cats and dogs.

My friend Jenn was in town with her team and met me for drinks while I waited for the rest of my vanmates to arrive from Minneapolis. Luckily the rain finally stopped before we left.

When the team arrived, they were so easy going, efficient and organized. They have done the race together for years, except there was 2 new girls this time. They put their stuff down and were in bed 10 minutes later. I was in van 1. Our team started at 5am from Winona.

Our first legs were all very long, most of us had over 7 miles. So even though we had a 5am start, I didn’t run until noon and it was HOT. My leg was 7.6 miles. And a never ending hill.

After handing off to van 2, we drove to Pepin, WI and had lunch an outdoor café. Fabulous. It was VERY hard to resist having some local fried cheese curds from the cheese curd capital of nearby Ellsworth (and in hindsight, maybe I should have just given in!).

We chilled out at a campground while we waited for our turn. There was one charger in the van and our rides in the van were so short that our phones like never charged. It was a personal van, not a rental van, so it didn't charge when the engine was off, unfortunately. We were all hovering around 20% for the weekend, which makes me mental. I found an outlet there and managed to get up to 40%.

I am completely fascinated by water. I loved that we were near the river most of the way, and how it divided the two states. I did not know it was so hilly in southeastern Minnesota/western Wisconsin. Oh, and it seems like trains were going by like once an hour. No matter where we were. Lots of bluffs like this…and bugs!

My night leg was only 3.6 miles, yay! It was mainly country roads, but I pretty much always had someone in sight, which was great. The temps were in the low 60's and it felt great. I finished sometime before 2am and we drove off to Stillwater, MN to sleep. Two of us slept in the van and the other 4 either slept in the gym or outside. It felt great to stretch out and get some sleep. I slept terrible on the hotel floor the night before.

We started seeing teams skip legs or double up and were wondering if we should be doing that. We were running behind schedule, and I had an 8 pm flight home (8pm is when the finish line closes). We had a race official come up to us at exchange 28 and ask if we thought we would make it and she offered us the chance to do the same, basically to get van 2 started right away while we were still running our last few legs in van 1. We decided to go for it, and I’m so glad we did. I really wanted to cross the finish line together and celebrate as a team if possible before I had to leave.

These were some of the views at Exchange 28 at Afton State Park. Really pretty. When Ruth took off running, and we saw her as we drove away, she looked amazing in a sea of gold flower fields around her. Where was the official race photographer when you need them?

I headed out on my last leg, a 4 miler. Once again it was hot but it was hazy so it didn’t feel quite so bad. I found some good energy on this leg and had my best pace of the 3 legs. Gotta love ending on a high note! We grabbed some burgers and then headed straight for the finish. No time to shower in between. We had time for a beer or so while we waited for van 2 to finish. The finish area down by the river at University of Minnesota was beautiful. I’d love to see it in fall colors. Our team name was the "Knight Owls", because the captain's last name is Knight.

I earned my bonus medal, the fanatic. I love it!

In the end, I was happy to meet this new group of people and see this course. They were sweet enough to drop me off at the airport – I looked like a total freakshow at the airport with my Ragnar tat, sparkle skirt and compression socks! I mean what is considered "normal" at a Ragnar relay is not normal at an airport LOL. I made it to my gate an hour before flight and was stoked.

Special shoutout to Lori, whose spot I took - she really went out of her way to make it as easy for me as possible. And I appreciated how welcoming and friendly everyone was. I will say that I've never been with a group of ladies who was so uninterested in taking photos. Not of the scenery, not of each other, nothing. Our team had a really wide age range from 20's to 60's? Great dynamic, though. Hope to run with you all sometime again in the future!

"Disclaimer: I received a set of Karma rings to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

As much as I ADORE my wedding ring, there are times that it is not comfortable to wear it. For me, that is lifting weights (the clinking bothers me), or doing any muy thai/boxing where you have to wear a glove. During a humid race, my fingers do tend swell, making it next to impossible to get my already tight ring off.

I had seen a few ads for silicone rings and wondered if this might be a solution. Enter Karma rings! I received a set that came in a super cool tin (hint: you'll want to keep this tin to store your jewelry in when you travel! Mine contained a white “base” ring and then 3 colored “core” bands that slip over the base. I chose the pastel set – a pale pink, a hot pink, and a lavender. The rings are heat save and non - conductive for added safety.

I was most anxious to try these during body pump class. They slip on easily, and are very comfortable on. You definitely forget you are wearing them.

I also took them out on some runs, and still no slippage even when sweaty!

Rings can also serve as symbols – and Karma believes that wearing your karma ring can be a symbol of something you stand for. From the Karma website –

Individual Finger SymbolismThumb(Will Power) – The thumb is independent, while working in tandem with our other fingers to accomplish various tasks. The thumb represents logic and will power, a symbol of controlling ones thoughts and actions. Index Finger (Authority and Ambition) – Also known as the “Power Finger”, the index finger represents Authority, Power, Leadership, and Ambition. Historically, Kings, Priests, and healers wore rings on the index finger because it was believed to be especially powerful. Middle Finger (Identity and Materialism) – The middle finger, being the tallest, is associated with ones purpose in life. As the center of the hand, it symbolizes personal identity and things most important to us. Ring Finger (Emotion, Creativity, and Heart) – The ring finger connects to the artery that runs directly to our heart. It symbolizes feelings of affection and love. It is also characteristic of one’s creativity and artistic self.Little Finger (Relationships) – The little finger or “pinky” is associated with confidence in both personal and business relationships. It is related to our attitudes towards other people, intimacy, and personal attitudes toward oneself. The little finger faces the world, and watches our back as our friends do.

It can also serve as a reminder for something you are committed to – like losing weight, quitting smoking, etc.

Karma sets come in 2 colors for women, the pastel and cinnamon collection – plus a dark colored set for men. Personally, I think they are an AMAZING solution for men. Some men don’t like to wear “flashy” jewelry and work out a lot so the traditional rings may not be the best idea. My husband takes his off the minute he gets home. He also takes it off to swim, golf, mow the lawn, bike ride, you name it! Frustrating. I do believe this could easily be solved with one of these rings which WILL NOT FALL OFF! The men's duo ring sets come in a variety set of dark colors, but also in some cool solo colors of slate blue, iron grey and sage green.

Karma sets retail for $24.99, and individual bands cost $9.99 each. Right now, you can save 33% on set with code BIBRAVE33, plus flatrate shipping of only $1.95, and free shipping over $15! I think I just figured out a stocking stuffer for my hubby!

And, because good karma brings good karma, Karma Ring Co donates a percentage from each sale to a meaningful cause, like Feed the Children!

"Disclaimer: I received a pair of Aftershokz Trekz Air Headphones to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to try the Trekz Titanium headhphones, wireless headphones that sit just outside your ear, not inside them, and conduct sound through your bones. They were super cool. Recently, Aftershokz came out with an EVEN BETTER model, the Trekz Air.

The box comes with a carrying case, charger and earplugs. Those are in case you need to block out more sound (like on an airplane). But part of the beauty of these headphones is that you get to hear your rockin’ music but still hear the ambient noise around you – birds singing, cars approaching, etc. Safe!

The totally unique aspect of these headphones is the use of bone conduction technology. The sound is just as great as if they were sitting inside your ears, honestly. But your ears are left open to hear approaching cars, etc.

Setup was easy –synching and pairing the headphones to Bluetooth was a piece of cake. I feel like the Trekz Air is a sleeker model - not only lighter, but also a more compact, slim profile that work with any hat and sunglasses combo. You can easily forget you have them on. They only weigh 1.06 oz!!!!

I mostly listened to podcasts with them while I was running or walking. I also listened to music while on the treadmill at the gym. On one particularly hot day, I walked by my favorite local waterfall and could easily hear the soothing sound of the water, even while listening to my podcast. The sound is honestly very crisp and clear.

Took them out for some training runs in the heat. Even sweat didn’t make them slip. These have a nice battery life, too. It says you can count on 6 + hours of battery life. Charging was easy peasy. My one tip is to make sure you press and hear "power off" after you finish your workout. Otherwise when your phone rings it will attempt to have you answer them on your headphones - which maybe you want, but I wasn't quite prepared for that.

I am more than happy with these Trekz Air! They retail for $149.95, and come in 4 colors, including the new canyon red, which has me dreaming of fall.

Special offer below: Right now you can get a bundle of goodies for the same price as the Trekz Air alone!

SAVE $55 OFF the BibRave TrekzAir Bundle when you use the code: "BRBundle"

You can order Trekz Air headphones in Canyon Red (which is what I have), Slate Grey, Midnight Blue or Forest Green. Use code "BRBUNDLE" here to take $55 off the bundle price of $204.95. You get EVERYTHING shown below for less than the cost of a pair Trekz Air headphones alone!

Parting thought: Aftershokz also has amazing customer service, I have personally witnessed them take care of running friends. They really care about you having the best experience possible. Give them a try!